Guest Profile

Rob Thelusma

Rob Thelusma is an actor/writer and the founder of Affirmative Athletics. Thelusma founded and established the program in the spring of 2005 at Camp Fred Miller; a youth probation camp in Venice, CA, that houses teenage Black and Latino boys ranging in age from 13-18. Since then, the program has been a phenomenal success during its six-year run and has already mentored over 400 youths.


Affirmative Athletics teaches youth to appreciate the journey as they work within the framework of a team towards a common goal. We provide them with tools that teach positive values through league newsletters as they chronicle their season with journal questions that provoke thought while positively affirming them to operate at their best selves. It is meant to inspire, to build and mentor leaders while creating healthy, supportive, fraternal bonds that last forever.


The mission is to develop 'at-risk' youth in underserved detention facilities into healthy, intelligent adults through an organized athletic program supplemented with a cognitive psychology/sociology reading and writing component. We advocate and promote higher learning, competitiveness, teamwork and discipline.